"Striking Oil": 2025-26 Regular Season, Game 62: Carolina Hurricanes at Edmonton Oilers

There are some games on the schedule that you have no clue how they're going to go. The Edmonton Oilers are one such opponent. The firepower they possess at the top of the lineup is so strong that they could easily blow teams out. However, defensive issues have hampered their ability to meet their full potential. Fortunately, having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can sometimes be enough to overcome it. With the trade deadline behind them, the Canes and the Oilers turn their attention to the stretch run. Each side is in a different boat. The Canes sit atop the division and the conference, with a trip to the postseason feeling inevitable. The Oilers are stuck in a race for the Top 3 in the Pacific, needing to find a way to climb in a weaker division. In the first half of a back-to-back for the Hurricanes, they needed a positive result to take some pressure off before their final stop tomorrow night.

Scoring Summary

1st Period

EDM (10:43)- Zach Hyman (26) (Connor McDavid (71) & Mattias Ekholm (27))

CAR (11:20)- Shayne Gostisbehere (11) (Seth Jarvis (23) & Sebastian Aho (39))

CAR (12:06)- Nikolaj Ehlers (20) (unassisted)

2nd Period

CAR (1:39)- Jordan Martinook (8) (Nikolaj Ehlers (30) & K'Andre Miller (22))

EDM (3:20)- Vasily Podkolzin (14) (unassisted)

3rd Period

CAR (7:32)- Jackson Blake (18) (K'Andre Miller (23) & Taylor Hall (20))

EDM (11:43-PP)- Zach Hyman (27) (Leon Draisaitl (58) & Evan Bouchard (54))

CAR (18:39-EN)- Jordan Staal (16) (K'Andre Miller (24) & Frederik Andersen (1)

CAR (19:31)- Jackson Blake (19) (Logan Stankoven (17) & Sean Walker (14))

My Thoughts

This, by all accounts, was going to be the toughest stop on the trip for the Carolina Hurricanes. Of course, I mean no disrespect to the Seattle Kraken after what they did to the Canes on Monday to begin the trip. However, the two-time Cup finalists are a much tougher draw on a nightly basis, even if they're a deeply flawed group. The result tonight for the Canes would shape how we'd look at the trip. As you'll see, getting this win took the entire group, especially after the Canes lost Shayne Gostisbehere in the first period. It might not have been the cleanest victory ever, but it's hard not to love how they got the job done.

Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard are Edmonton's top three scorers. All three of them had an assist tonight. However, their impact was limited because of the effort of the Canes' defense. It's made all the more impressive by how they did it with only five defensemen for the final 40 minutes. It felt like Jaccob Slavin was all over McDavid at times. He played over 25 minutes, as did Jalen Chatfield. McDavid had two shots, while Draisaitl failed to get one at the net. You could argue that Zach Hyman was their most effective forward, scoring two of Edmonton's three goals, but he was put in good spots to score by McDavid and Draisaitl. Both players were great in Raleigh, with the Canes able to dictate the matchups. They couldn't do that tonight, though they were even more effective. They made life for Frederik Andersen a little easier. They might've allowed three goals, but I'll gladly take that with how they rebounded from Wednesday's effort in Vancouver.

The Seattle game was incredibly frustrating from an offensive standpoint, but that feels like it was left in the United States. The Canes have scored 12 points since the trip made its way to Canada, potting six in both Vancouver and Edmonton. After falling behind, they responded twice in under a minute. Gostisbehere, before exiting, hammered a shot after great work along the boards by Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis. Nikolaj Ehlers followed his hat trick by throwing a shot from the point off the post and past Tristan Jarry. Ehlers was in a giving mode in the second, making a great pass from behind the net to get Jordan Martinook on the board. In the third, Jackson Blake scored a pair to establish a new high in goals. Between his strikes, Jordan Staal completed his line's big night by scoring into the empty net. K'Andre Miller, along with skating over 22 minutes, had three assists. Andersen got in on the fun, earning the secondary assist on the empty-net goal. I much prefer this version of the Canes' offense.

By picking up their 40th win of the season on Friday, the Canes head into the final stop of their trip with a chance for six of eight possible points. After how they got going, that feels like a major win, but they'll need to do it against a rested Calgary team. I expect the Canes to look a little tired in front of Brandon Bussi, but that's not an excuse at this point in the season. They'll need to lean on their leadership to set the example. Gostisbehere's status for the game will be something to watch. If I had to guess, I would expect to see Mike Reilly come into the lineup in his place. After Calgary traded a few big players this week, they should be excited to begin this next era. Hopefully, it won't come at the Canes' expense.

First Star of the Game: Jaccob Slavin

With the offense providing six goals tonight, you'd think that someone like Jackson Blake or Nikolaj Ehlers would be here. However, I'm stuck on how well the defense played tonight. Jaccob Slavin was a big part of that. He made big plays all night against Edmonton's top guys, but there was one particular shift that stands out. Going one-on-one with Connor McDavid, Slavin stood him up at the line to push it back over the line. When McDavid got back in, Slavin was right back on him and pushing the puck away. He also made a huge play to break up a 2-on-1 in the third period while it was still 3-2. 

Around the League

Pittsburgh: Not only did they lose in Buffalo, 5-1, on Thursday, but they lost Evgeni Malkin for the next five games because he decided to two-hand slash Rasmus Dahlin.

New York (I): California has not been kind to the Islanders, who've lost their first two games after dropping a 5-3 decision to the Kings on Thursday, keeping them tied with the Penguins.

Columbus: The only team in the division moving in the right direction, other than Carolina, is the Blue Jackets after winning their third straight over the Panthers last night.

Washington: It has been a whirlwind few days for the Capitals ahead of their first post-deadline game on Saturday against Boston.

Philadelphia: The Flyers were shut out on home ice by the Mammoth on Thursday night, which didn't provide them much positive momentum heading into Saturday's Battle of Pennsylvania.

Current Standings

Carolina: 86 points (Biggest deadline move: Adding Nic Deslauriers; 62 GP)

Pittsburgh: 75 points (Biggest deadline move: Adding Samuel Girard for Brett Kulak; 61 GP)

New York (I): 75 points (Biggest deadline move: Adding Brayden Schenn; 63 GP)

Columbus: 72 points (Biggest deadline move: Adding Conor Garland; 61 GP)

Washington: 69 points (Biggest deadline move: Trading John Carlson to Anaheim; 63 GP)

Philadelphia: 67 points (Biggest deadline move: Swapping Bobby Brink for David Jiricek; 61 GP)

Next Up: The road trip concludes in Calgary on Saturday night, with the Canes searching for a win to finish their journey the right way. Their newest addition, Nicolas Deslauriers, will join the team on Monday before the return to home ice on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who'll be without Sidney Crosby (injury) and Evgeni Malkin (suspension). The homestand will be a quick one, with their next game against the St. Louis Blues bringing their time in Raleigh to an end before another trip.